Said measuring apparatus is usually part of a processing apparatus for processing slaughtered animal bodies, with animal bodies understood to include animal body parts as well. The processing apparatus is particularly designed for processing poultry, particularly filleting breast caps or front halves. The apparatus, particularly for removing the meat from gutted bodies of slaughtered poultry without extremities, comprises processing tools arranged in a processing line, a driven conveyor with holding apparatuses arranged on it in a row along the processing line to transport animal bodies that are supported there, particularly saddled poultry bodies and, to let these pass the processing tools, at least one measuring apparatus emitting measurement signals for recording individual body features of the animal bodies, and a control device, which receives the measurement signals, for controlling the operation of the processing tools.
A generic processing apparatus with measuring apparatuses is known, for example, from DE 198 48 498 A1 and described there. The holding apparatuses are arranged along the processing line on the conveyor, which is usually rotatingly equipped with an upper and lower run. In most cases, the holding apparatus is provided as a saddle-like support body, as known and described, for example, in DE 39 18 345 A1. The measuring apparatus constitutes a measurement station in the processing apparatus. The sensor records specific data which concern individual features of the animal body to be processed. For example, size, geometry and/or position in space are determined. The body joints of a poultry body, specifically the two articulation points of the shoulder, are particularly suited as measurement points which are oriented toward the front in the conveyor's direction of transport and are detected by dedicated sensors, which are formed by measuring elements which are deflectable, particularly when subject to restoring force, such as measuring tags. In particular, a measuring apparatus is also envisaged which measures the thickness, i.e. a cross dimension of the animal body to be processed, and works with measuring elements under restoring force, for example in the form of a pair of flap-like pivot elements.
The known measuring apparatuses, which are equipped with the pivoting sensors, can only record poultry bodies conveyed in a row which are sufficiently spaced during transport and/or the conveyance. The throughput is limited due to minimum distances to be maintained. The pivot-mounted sensors disengage from the holding apparatus and/or the animal body supported thereon only after its passage through the measuring apparatus, and they require time and space between the holding apparatuses to assume a defined initial position, specifically a standard position, for the start of the following measurement.